Apparatus for separating foreign substances from water.



PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908.

V. ANTOINE. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FOREIGN SUBSTANCES FROM WATER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1907.

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Specification of Letters Patent. 1

Patented March 31, 1908.

Application filed August 21, 1967. Serial No. 389,451.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Vro'ron ANTOINE, a

- subject of the King of Belgium, residing at pa er ma the velocity of the flow. These Lambermont, Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Foreign Substances from Water, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to ap aratus for separating foreign substances om water, for exampllfi from water discharged from g machines.

t has already been proposed touse for this pur ose receptacles into which the water is intro need through funnels, the separation of foreign matter being effected b reducing own arrangements have the disadvantage that they must be constructed of very large size, to contain a large yolume of water, so that they are inconvenient and expensive, and by reason of the large volume of water the action is too slow forpractical pur oses, for example in. the manufacture of wliite paper of superior quality and in the manufacture of small quantities of pa' er. A large amount of time is also require for cleaning the said apparatus, by-reason of its large dimensions, so that continuous, uninterrupted working is impossible therewith.

To obviate these disadvantages the present invention provides means of acceleratmg the precipitation of the foreignmatter, so that the apparatus can be considerably reduced in size, for example to have a capacity of approximately two or three cubic meters. he cost of the apparatus is by this means also considerably reduced and the charging, emptying andcleaning thereof can be effected in a few minutes.

In the improved apparatus, as in the apparatus previously own, the ascending ow of the water is utilized to produce separation, but in addition to this the invention provides means by which as soon as the water to be treated enters the apparatus a commencement of agglomeration of the foreign matter in suspension is being promoted by the action of aluminiumsulfate with which the water is brought into contact.

The improved apparatus comprises a receptacle in the form of an inverted cone or pyramid. A tube with a funnel at its upper end is arranged in this receptacle to conduct a stream of water to the bottom of the latter.

An essential feature of the a paratus is that the funnel has a perforated oor or horizontal, partition on which can be layer of aluminium sulfate and t at said floor is placed at a level somewhat below the level of the liquid in the outer receptacle and somewhat above the orificeof the pi e by which water is suppliedto the funnel? arrangement insures the slow and continuous'dissolving of the precipitant by the water, which rises against the erforated floor. After being acted on by t e sulfate of alu- ]placed a this v minium the water charged with chemical products or other foreign matterdescends through the tube to the bottom of the outer receptacle, whereupon the downward fiowis changed into an upward flow of progressively diminishing velocity, so that the separated matter can be evacuated at the bottom of the receptacle and the purified water is discharged into an over-flow conduit at the upper'part of the receptacle.

The central tube is made to extend to within a short distance of the orifice throu which the foreign matteris evacuated att e bottom of the outer receptacle, so that a small portion of the current of water can be utilized as a motive agent to evacuate the deposited matter, and the apparatus can thus work uninterruptedly.

A construction embodying the invention is shown by way of example in the annexed drawing, in which is shown a vertical section of the apparatus.

The apparatus comprises a receptacle a of metal or other material, the inner surface of which may beenameled, glazed or nickel plated, and which 'is supported by pillars or an adjacent wall orany other suitable v means. a

A funnel c with a downward tubular prolongation q is supported in the axis. of the receptacle a b means of cross bars p. A horizontal perforated plate or floor d is fixed in this funnel to support a layer of solid aluminium sulfate. This floor is placed at a level slightly below the level of the upper rim of the receptacle (1, for example two millimeters, so that the'water inthe funnel only im inges on the under part of the layer of su ate. The upper rim of the receptacle 0. is surrounded by a circular channel f which communicates with a discharge-p'pe g and into which the purified water overflows.

The orifice m at the bottom of the receptacle a communicates with the pipe it pro- .vided with a cock '5 which allows of rapidly emptying the receptacle a.

The water to be treated is fed into the funnel c by means of a ipe e, the discharge-orifice of which is be ow the perforated plate d. An upwardly curved discharge pipe k leads from the. pipe h, and has its highest level adjusted at a suitable distance below .the upper level of the receptacle a. This arrangement allows of using a discharge-pi e of comparativelylarge cross-section, t e rate of discharge being reduced as required by the rise of the pipe; the large cross-section of thepipe acilitates the flow of the separated matter and prevents obstructions.

The apparatus is adapted to work without interruption. The water charged with the substance or substances to be separated therefrom flows through the pipe 2 into the funnel c and comes into contact with the aluminiumsulfate on the perforated plate (1. Fromthe funnel c the water descends through the tube g to the bottom of the receptacle a, whence the greater part thereof ascends again outside the tube q.

Separation of the foreign matter in the water is produced by, a combination of causes, which maybe stated as follows Normal agglomeration or aggregation of the said matter; action of the aluminium sulfate; conformation of the rece tacle; action of, the flow, and u ward de ection of the water; difference 0 densities of the water and the matter in suspension. A dense, floating layer of this matter is formed in the lower part of the receptacle a and remains suspended in the" water, acting as a natural constant strainer or filter which gives passagp to the ascending water but retains the so 'ds, so that the latteraccumulate until they drop into the ipe h. The purified water overflows into t e channel f and flows thence through the pipe 9, and the separated matter flows through the discharge pipe k, the flow thereof. being assisted by a small roportion of the descending water, which ows through theorifice m and carries with it the matter deposited at the bottom of'the rece tacle a.

7 en the apparatus isfillecl with water char ed with foreign substances a deposit is ra idly formed below the lower orifice of the tu e g. The flow of water through the tube q displaces this deposit, which is lifted by the water ascending in the receptacle a, and

'the to axis 0 said receptacle, a perforated floor in suspension is held in equilibrium between the top and bottom of the receptacle by the u ward flow, of water and by its own weight.

e maximum effect of this filter is obtained when the entire mass thereof is opposed to the upward current of water charged with matter in suspension. I

The relative dimensions of the parts vary, of course, in practice according to the nature of the mixture to be treated and to the rate ail; which the charge and discharge areto take p ace.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for separating chemical products from water, a receptacle having a transverse area gradually increasing from the bottom tolthe topthereof, said receptacle having a level top edge, an overflow channel surroundin said edge, a funnel axially supported wit in the receptacle and having a perforated floor, said floor being slightly below the level of said top 'edge of the receptacle, a feeding pipe communicating with said funnel, and a normally open discharge pipe communicating with saidreceptacle at its lowermost point.

2. In an apparatus for: separating chemical products from water, a rece tacle having a transverse section gradual y increasing from the bottom to the top thereof, a nor-' mally opendischarge pipe, said receptacle narrowing down and merging into the bore of said pipe at its lowermost oint, said receptacle being formed with a evel overflow edge at its top portion, a sup ly pipe entering into said receptacle, an a perforated floor slightly below the overflow edge of said receptacle, and in communication with said supply pipe, whereby water entering said supply pipe may contact with the lower surface of the chemical supported by said floor.

L 3. In an apparatus for separating chem ical products from water, a receptacle, a channel. surroundin the saidreceptacle at thereof, a el supported in the fixed in the said funnel slightl below the level of the top vof the receptac e, a'feeding pipe placed within the funnel and extending therethrough, the discharge orifice of the saidfeeding pipebeing below the perforated floor, a tube extending from the funnel to the bottom of the receptacle and a dischar e pipe at the lower part of the receptacle in t e axis thereof.

4. In an ap aratusffor separating chemical products om water, a receptacle, the

sectional area of which decreases gradually" from top to bottom, a channel surrounding the saidreceptacle at the top thereof, a funnel supported axially of said receptacle, a perforated floor in. the said funnel slightly eeacoe below the level of the 'top of the receptacle, a feeding pipe placed within the funnel and extending therethrough, the discharge orifice of the said feeding pipe being below the perforated floor, a tube extending from the funnel to the bottom of the receptacle and a discharge pipe axially arranged at the bottom of the receptacle.

5. In an apparatus for separating chemical products from Water, a receptacle, the sectional area of which decreases gradually from top to bottom, a channel surrounding the said receptacle at the top thereof, a fun- .-nel supported in the axis of said receptacle,

a erforated floor in the said funnel slightly be 0W the level of the top of the rece tacle, a feeding pi e placed Within the funne and extending t'ierethrough, the discharge, orifice of the said feeding pipe being below the perforated floor, a tube extending from the funnel to the bottom of the receptacle, and a discharge pipe axially arranged at the bot tom of the receptacle, the said discharge pipe being in open communication with the rece tacle for the direct discharge of a part of tie descending-water fed into the tube extending from the funnel to the bottom of the rece tacle, substantially as described and for t 1e purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VICTOR ANTOINE. Witnesses:

GEORG BEDE, PAUL MAPEY. 

